UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Patrick Drew, professor of engineering science and mechanics and an associate director of the Huck Institutes, was inducted into the 2024 class of fellows for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Drew also has affiliations with the departments of biomedical engineering, neurosurgery, and biology.
AIMBE fellows “represent the most accomplished leaders in the fields of medical and biological engineering, according to the institute. Fellow candidates must be nominated by an existing fellow and have demonstrated “impactful contributions” to medical and biological engineering research, pedagogy and/or practice; and to professional societies, public service and/or advocacy for the field and diversity within it.
“Patrick has been a true trailblazer in the field of neural engineering,” said Vincent Meunier, department head, P.B Breneman Chair and professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. “He’s pioneered advanced optical imaging techniques that allow for the observation of vascular dynamics at micro- to mesoscale levels within the brains of active animals. His research also benefits a generation of new scientists and engineers, thanks to his remarkable mentoring and teaching skills.”
Drew was nominated for AIMBE fellowship for “his innovative work on imaging the effects of behavioral state on neural and vascular dynamics in the brain,” according to an AIMBE press release. His research focuses on understanding how blood flow to the brain is regulated. At Penn State, Drew leads the Drew Lab, which found that sleep or spontaneous fidgeting behaviors could drive large increases in blood flow to brain regions — much larger than those driven by sensory stimulation.
“By understanding the basic science of the neural regulation of blood flow to the brain, we hope to eventually understand what goes wrong in disease and come up with ways of fixing or preventing it,” said Drew.
The class of 2024 fellows was inducted on March 25 during the AIMBE Annual Event at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Drew was inducted along with 162 colleagues.
“I am honored to be elected a fellow,” said Drew. “It will help me advocate for support of biological and medical engineering research. I think it is a testament to the hard work and passion of the graduate students, undergraduate students and postdocs who have worked in my lab. They are the ones that have pushed our work forward.”